4WD or AWD?

[BrooseDaMoose]

I've done a ton of searching and reading on this and I still don't understand. Everything I have on my vehicle (window sticker, specs sheet, owners manual and dash display) all say it's 4WD. The explanation of the system on the Ford site says it's 4WD. But in so many other places it says it's AWD. Based on my knowledge of how the systems work, it appears to be 4WD. I don't see any difference from the older models with automatic 4WD other than it monitors a lot more information. An AWD continuously send torque to both the front and rear wheels. The 98 Explorer I had was AWD and it basically just didn't have an actuator to connect/disconnect the transfer case to the transmission. My moms 07 Freestyle is AWD and it has a CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) which distributes torque to all four wheel. So, what am I missing here? I think this is just a matter of terminology and not technology.

 

[trubluST]

Good question! I have been wondering about the same thing.

 

[2020FordRaptor]

It definitely is technology. Our cars are AWD. Automatic or Intelligent 4wd is AWD. Some marketing person at corporate has caused this confusion. There are different transfer cases that utilize different ways of using AWD. 4wd utilizes a transfer case that forces the car to be in 4wd high, 4wd low, or 2wd all the time. AWD is electronically controlled, with usually no user input, and usually uses a series of clutches to send a certain amount of power (it usually varies) to the front or rear wheels. Most of the time, newer AWD cars will automotically disconnect the front or rear wheels under low-load circumstances for efficiency. Our cars use different actuators and clutches to disconnect or increase the power sent to the front wheels.

 

[DaHuntah]

I wouldn't say it's definately technology. I'd say it's both. Ford called their 2nd generation Explorer AWD but it was basically just locked in 4WD high. The transfer case just didn't have an actuator. Not all 4WD vehicles had 2WD, 4WD High and 4WD Low. When they came out with the automatic 4WD it was either 2WD or 4WD High. The Explorer ST is kind of the same. The transfer case (or PTU as it's called) is just more advanced. I had an Eagle Talon (which was based on the Mitsubishi Galant) and it was true AWD. There was no transfer case. It had a viscous coupling, (a fluid-filled coupling that automatically adjusts power distribution based on wheel slip), in place of a regular transmission. The Freestyle AWD that @BrooseDaMoose is talking about used a similar set up. The Explorer ST does have a wet clutch but that doesn't make it AWD. Torque is not distributed to the individual wheels by the transfer case. All it does is distribute the torque between the front and rear differentials. The differentials are also "open" differentials so the display you see in the dash is not correct. Torque is not equally applied to all four wheels at the same time.

 

[BrooseDaMoose]

I was afraid of this. It depends who you talk to or what site you visit as to whether it’s 4WD or AWD. While I agree with some of the above, I don’t think it’s all correct. I did see the transfer case referred to as a PTU (Power Transfer Unit) in a few places. Maybe that’s why some say it’s AWD. I’ll just have to dig into it more. I can say, the first issue I had with my vehicle was that the actuator got stuck. I had a C00A6 - 4WD/AWD Transfer Case Unit Actuator code stating “Actuator Stuck”. It was stuck in the locked position. Whenever I made a turn, it felt just like my Ranger feels when making a turn while in 4WD. Like the inside wheel is slipping. Not sure how else to explain it other than it just felt “rough”. If anyone has a good explanation of how the transfer case (or PTU) works or knows a site that explains it, please share. I’m really curious about how it works.


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[DaHuntah]

Exactly what don't you agree with?